The SIPRI Arms Transfers Database now contains information on all international transfers of major conventional weapons from 1950 to the end of 2011. It is the only publicly available resource providing consistent data on international arms transfers for this length of time. This Fact Sheet describes the trends in international arms transfers that are revealed by the new data. It lists the main suppliers and recipients for the period 2007–11 and describes the changes in regional trends.

ExMergere: India was the first world importer over the period, accounting for 10 per cent in weapons volume. India has announced a 17% increase of its defence budget … far beyond China!